Driven by the increasing consumption of high-quality edible oils for everyday food and the growing demand for alternative fuels in the transport sector, the market is developing its own momentum.

According to forecasts from the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute, global production of vegetable oil from the four most important oil seeds will have increased to around 142 million tonnes by 2015. The trend is constantly growing because demand is rising out of proportion to the world population. The main force driving this demand is the enormous population growth and the rising living standards of wide sections of the population, particularly in emerging and developing markets. At the same time, the consumption of animal products is increasing there. This, in turn, has a positive effect on the demand for high-protein animal feed – a by-product of edible oil production.

In addition to the huge demand for high-quality oils for human consumption, the further processing of these oils into biodiesel fuel for the transport sector plays a significant role. Exploding prices for crude oil and mandatory blending quotas in over 40 countries around the world will continue to drive this development in the future. According to forecasts, the worldwide production of biodiesel is likely to rise to 15 million tonnes by 2015. After all, fuel from renewable raw materials promises two benefits: energy security and a reduction of CO2 emissions, which are known to be a major cause of global warming.

New quality standards, such as energy awareness and more exacting environmental requirements, also play an increasingly important role in the production of vegetable oils – a development which will require the construction of many new industrial plants.

As an experienced plant constructor, Ferrostaal has established itself in the edible oil and biodiesel sectors. We have constructed over 100 edible oil plants around the world. The range of services we provide varies from project development to project financing and management, extending to our expertise as general contractor.

Our plants combine a high level of environmental compatibility with low energy consumption – criteria which are becoming increasingly important in times of diminishing resources.